Chain Link Fence with Internally Retained Slats

ABSTRACT

A chain link fence with retained slats having slats inserted into the chain link fence and running between the top of the fence and the bottom of the fence. At least one band (which band may, itself, be a single elongate element or a combination of elongate elements) runs transversely across the interior of each such slat through an internal passage. Each band and each slat is inserted into said chain link fence before installation of said chain link fence. Preferably, when viewed looking at the face of the band, each band is tapered, as also is each band when viewed looking at the side of such band. At least one external opening of each internal passage is beveled, and at least one external opening of each internal passage has a concave shape when seen in a plan view looking at the face of each said slat.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention

This invention relates to slats which are inserted into chain link fences in order to increase privacy and security, especially to the retention of such slats in a chain link fence.

Description of the Related Art

There are many patents for retaining, or locking, slats into a chain link fence.

These generally appear to fall into four major categories—apertures in the sides of adjacent slats through which a retaining bar is placed; a substantially U-shaped channel to receive an end of each slat placed at the bottom, the top, or both the bottom and the top of the slats, a pin placed within and extending from each slat; and fins extending from the sides of the slats to the knuckles of the fence—plus a fifth category of miscellaneous retaining devices.

In the first major category U.S. Pat. No. 4,512,556 has such a retaining bar, indeed, inserted through apertures in the slats. For U.S. Pat. No. 5,056,761 each slat is retained by one or more horizontal slats or strips intertwined in the fence wires and passed through aligned openings in the opposite sides of the slats; a strip can be unwound from a supply spool. (Although this could be inserted into a chain link fence, i.e., pre-inserted, prior to installation, or even shipment, of the fence and probably wound with the uninstalled fence for shipment, but such pre-insertion would be difficult because the apertures would have to be precisely aligned for all the slats. Moreover, such pre-insertion is nowhere stated in the patent to have been done. A similar slat-retaining fence using a strip placed through apertures in the slats is manufactured and offered for sale as the Top Lock Slat by Pexco of Atlanta, Ga.) In U.S. Pat. No. 5,106,058 a flexible belt (made from flexible material such as plastic, rubber, or the like) is horizontally inserted through apertures in the slats. For U.S. Pat. No. 5,584,468 slots (apertures) in slats receive a retaining bar. Slats having opposing slots (apertures) for receiving a retaining bar are the subject of U.S. Pat. No. 5,806,839. A support bar extends through opening in the slats of U.S. Pat. No. 6,182,947. And one embodiment for U.S. Pat. No. 6,966,547 involves an upper rail extending through apertures in slats.

Representative of the second major category, United States patent publication no. 2014/0145133 utilizes a U-shaped retainer having flanges to spring into cutouts in the slat. (The retainer is stated to be able to be at either the top or the bottom of the slats, but it is not indicated that a top retainer and a bottom retainer can be simultaneously employed. A second embodiment of U.S. Pat. No. 6,966,547 has sidewall on each slat which snap; into a retainer on the top, bottom, or both ends of the fence. Each slat in U.S. Pat. No. 7,878,487 has at least two notches on opposite faces into which barbs extend from the front and rear of the retaining channel; the retaining channel can be at the top or the bottom of the fence but is not stated to be simultaneously at the top and the bottom. Tabs on a U-shaped retaining bar at the bottom of the fence fit into apertures in the front and rear of the slats for U.S. Pat. No. 8,366,078. In a first variant of this major category U.S. Pat. No. 7,165,760 uses a retraining strip having protrusions, at least one of which protrusions fits into a notch near the bottom of each slat. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,085,954 a U-shaped retainer can support the slats from the bottom or be at the top or bottom or both of the slats but has no portion extending into any slat. And two examples of a second related variant exist. U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,760,759 and 2,802,645 are very similar to each other. Both involve slats that are supported by a horizontal slat or strip (or, in a different embodiment, attached to a rigid connecting member). Proper alignment of the slats within each retainer would, however, be very time consuming.

Within the third major category U.S. Pat. No. 4,725,044 has a pin which locks into a slat through an aperture and limits the movement of the slat with respect the wire of a fence or, in a second embodiment, can wrap around a bottom rail installed on the fence. A member having a stop to retain a slat is insert into a slat of U.S. Pat. No. 5,794,922. And the claims of U.S. Pat. No. 5,799,929 seem to deal with third and fourth stops which are discussed but not claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,794,922. Installation of these pins would again require considerable time.

For the fourth major category U.S. Pat. No. 5,775,676 has fins which wedge into the knuckles of a fence; one embodiment also has strands, at the ends of the fins, to wrap around the knuckle. In U.S. Pat. No. 6,164,628 a first set and a second set of fins retain a slat in a chain link fence by engaging the knuckles of the fence. And a notch in a fin of a slat is intended to catch on a fence knuckle in U.S. Pat. No. 6,634,623.

For the miscellaneous category the one embodiment of U.S. Pat. No. 2,802,645 was noted above. Additionally, the slats of U.S. Pat. No. 3,069,142 are diagonally arranged, are attached to the wire of the fence with an integral clip, and are further retained with frictional force from slats that are perpendicularly diagonal to the other slats. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,836,505 a horizontal strip member is conventionally attached to the vertical slats; the strip member is made from any conventional materials, such as wood, metal, or extruded plastic. Picket members on one side of a chain link fence are, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,275,381 snappingly engaged with mounting members either woven into the fence or on the opposite side of the fence. An expandable corrugated slat of U.S. Pat. No. 6,068,243, uses spring force to retain such slat in the channel of a fence. In U.S. Pat. No. 7,237,766 projections from a cap fit into channels of adjacent slats. And in U.S. Pat. No. Re. 36,0385 each slat has a channel near one edge to retain the fence wire between adjacent knuckles and also has an attachable cover for such channel.

As explicitly mentioned above with respect to U.S. Pat. No. 5,056,761 none of these patents indicates that pre-insertion occurs, and the inventor is aware of no chain link fence which is manufactured and marketed with the slats and retaining device pre-installed. In fact, U.S. Pat. No. 5,056,761 suggests the opposite by indicating, in lines 11 through 14 of column 3, “After installation, each slat 74 is held in place by one or more horizontally oriented retaining slats or strips 78 intertwined in the fence wires 42 and passed through aligned openings 80 in the opposite sides of the slats 74,” as also does U.S. Pat. No. 5,584,468 by declaring, in lines 35 through 37 of column 1, “It is also desirable to provide an aesthetically pleasing fence insert which is readily installed into an existing chain link fence.”

The inventor has been involved with the manufacture of slats for chain link fences since 1992 and is unaware of any retaining device actually employed in a chain link fence which is more than approximately four feet long. Notably, even the patents employing a retaining member that is flexible (U.S. Pat. No. 5,106,058) or unwound from a supply spool (U.S. Pat. No. 5,056,761) do not state or illustrate that the retaining member would be more than approximately four feet long. Still, U.S. Pat. No. 5,056,761, in lines 17 through 19 of column 3, asserts, “In the size noted, strip 78 has the advantage of being supplied on a supply spool and unwound therefrom for long length installation”; and line 58 in column 3 of U.S. Pat. No. 6,966,547 states, “The slat retainer [which may be positioned along the bottom, the top, or both ends of a chain link fence] may have any desired length.” Also, United States patent application no. 20140145133 indicates, “The [U-shaped] slat retainer 380 may have any desired or suitable length. Likewise, any number of the slat retainers 380 may be used.” These statements in patent documents and the inventor's observation can be resolved only by understanding that one or ordinary skill in the art would, prior to the inventor's conceiving of the present invention not have desired a length longer than approximately four feet for such a retainer and would have considered four feet to be a “long length.” This is understandable in view of the facts that pre-insertion of a slat retainer had not occurred prior to the present invention and that dealing with lengthy retainers in the field would be very difficult. Moreover, immediately after the quotation from U.S. Pat. No. 5,056,761 regarding a “long length installation,” that patent provides, “Alternatively, lengths of flattened tubes 76 may, as shown in FIG. 9, be substituted for the flexible retaining strip 78.”

In fact, difficulty with insertion constitutes one of the reasons which the inventor's experience causes him to believe has dissuaded anyone from previously developing the concept for, or the reality of, a chain link fence with pre-inserted slats.

Indeed, even when a retaining device for the slats is employed, a multitude of such reasons exist, including, but not necessarily limited to, the following: For the first category of retaining devices, i.e., apertures in the sides of adjacent slats through which a retaining bar is placed, it would be very difficult and time consuming to align the apertures in the various slats perfectly to permit the passage of the retaining bar though all the slats. Subsequent to insertion of the retaining bar the ends of such retaining bar could inadvertently withdraw from the apertures in one or more slats, thereby permitting such slats to drop lower than the remaining slats and causing the overall pre-inserted collection of slats to become non-uniform in appearance, creating an undesirable aesthetic effect. Slats have almost universally been a distinctly separate business from chain link fences; so, dealers and customers have become satisfied with buying these items separately and inserting the slats after the chain link fence has been installed. Many customers prefer to select the slat they desire and the fence they desire separately. And the added cost for pre-insertion has deterred innovation in this regard.

In lines 22 through 24 of column 2 U.S. Pat. No. 4,512,556 of Don A. Meglino asserts, “The leading end 5′ of the retaining slat 5 is preferably tapered for easy insertion through the aperture 10 in the parallel slats.” Such a retaining slat 5 is shown in the figures to have the very most extreme portion of the leading end 5′ and to have the sides (sometimes termed “edges”) of the retaining slat angled toward each other when seen in a plan view showing either face of the retaining slat 5. In Mr. Meglino's U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,806,839 and 6, 182,947 such a “tapered” leading end is illustrated but not discussed.

But the inventor is unaware of any retention band in the prior art the first end (sometimes termed the “leading end”) of which is tapered when seen from either side in an elevational view.

Furthermore, no prior art slat is known to the inventor to have the entrance to an internal passage beveled inward to guide the first end of a retention band into such entrance during insertion of such retention band.

Nor does the inventor know of any prior art having such an entrance that, when seen in a plan view showing either face of the retention band, is concave to facilitate insertion of a retention band into such entrance during insertion of such retention band.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The chain link fence with retained slats of the present invention comprises a traditional chain link fence with fence slats inserted and running from top to bottom in the chain link fence. Each fence slat is constructed to accept at least one band into and running transversely across the interior of such slat. The slats and the at least one band are inserted into the chain link fence before the chain link fence is installed, i.e., the slats and the at least one band are pre-inserted into the chain link fence.

If the slat is solid, such slat contains an interior channel running between a first side and a second side of the slat. If the slat is hollow, the first side contains an aperture to accept the band; and the second side also contains an aperture to accept the band. The term “internal passage” is defined herein to mean either the interior channel or the first side with an aperture (designated the first or entry aperture) to accept the band and the second side with an aperture (designated the second or exit aperture) to accept the band.

There is at least one band and at least one internal channel or set of apertures, i.e., one internal passage.

The total of the one or more bands has sufficient strength to retain the slats within the chain link fence while also being sufficiently flexible to permit the chain link fence with the slats and the band or bands to be rolled in the traditional manner for a chain link fence.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of the chain link fence with retained slats.

FIG. 2 shows a solid slat having an interior channel running between a first side and a second side of the slat to accommodate the retaining band.

FIG. 3 depicts a hollow slat containing an entrance aperture and an egress aperture for the retaining band.

FIG. 4 presents two chain link fence with retained slats rolled in the traditional manner for a chain link fence.

FIG. 5 is a plan view looking at the face of the first end of the band, which is tapered by being pointed, to facilitate insertion of the band into an aperture or an interior channel.

FIG. 6 is a plan view looking at the face of the first end of the band, which is tapered by being curved, to facilitate insertion of the band into an aperture or an interior channel.

FIG. 7 is a plan view looking at the face of the first end of the band, which is tapered by being truncated, to facilitate insertion of the band into an aperture or an interior channel.

FIG. 8 is an elevational view looking at the first edge of the first end of the band, which is tapered by being pointed, to facilitate insertion of the band into an aperture or an interior channel.

FIG. 9 is an elevational view looking at the first edge of the first end of the band, which is tapered by being curved, to facilitate insertion of the band into an aperture or an interior channel.

FIG. 10 is an elevational view looking at the first edge of the first end of the band, which is tapered by being truncated, to facilitate insertion of the band into an aperture or an interior channel.

FIG. 11 shows a first aperture being beveled in order to facilitate the insertion of the band into such first aperture.

FIG. 12 illustrates an entry into an interior channel being beveled in order to facilitate the insertion of the band into such interior channel.

FIG. 13 portrays a second aperture being beveled.

FIG. 14 depicts an egress from an interior channel being beveled.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

As indicated above and illustrated in FIG. 1, the chain link fence with retained slats of the present invention comprises a traditional chain link fence 1 with fence slats 2 inserted into the chain link fence 1 and running from the top 3 to the bottom 4 of the chain link fence 1. Each fence slat 2 is constructed to accept at least one band 5 (which band 5 may, itself, be a single elongate element or a combination of elongate elements) into and running transversely across the interior 6 of such slat 2, and such slat 2 may have any cross-sectional shape which is known in the art. The slats 2 and the at least one band 5 are inserted into the chain link fence 1 before the chain link fence 1 is installed, i.e., the slats 2 and the at least one band 5 are pre-inserted into the chain link fence 1.

Again as observed above, if, as illustrated in FIG. 2, the slat 2 is solid, for each at least one band 5, such slat 2 contains an interior channel 7 running between a first side 8 and a second side 9 of the slat 2. If, as shown in FIG. 3, the slat 2 is hollow, for each at least one band 5, the first side (also termed an edge) 8 of the slat 2 contains a first, or entrance, aperture 10 to accept a first end 11 the band 5; and the second side (also termed a side) 9 of the slat 2 contains a second, or egress, aperture 12 to permit the first end 11 of the band 5 to leave the slat 2. The one or more internal passages 7 or 8 as well as 10 and 9 as well as 12 (a first side 8 of a slat 2 as well as a first or entry aperture 10 and a second side 9 of the slat 2 as well as a second or egress aperture 12) are preferably located at substantially the same position in each slat 2 so that a given band 5 can run through the corresponding internal passages 7 or 8 as well as 10 and 9 as well as 12 (a first side 8 of a slat 2 as well as a first or entry aperture 10 and a second side 9 of the slat 2 as well as a second or egress aperture 12) in each slat 2 of the chain link fence 1.

The total of the one or more bands 5 has, as earlier observed, sufficient strength to retain the slats within the chain link fence 1 while also being sufficiently flexible to permit the chain link fence 1 with the pre-inserted slats 2 and band or bands 5 to be rolled in the traditional manner for a chain link fence, as depicted in FIG. 4.

The band or bands 5 can be constructed of any material to create the preceding characteristics but are preferably composed of high-density polyethylene (HDPE). One non-exclusive alternative material is low-density polyethylene (LDPE).

The band or bands 5 can be of any desired length but are preferably one of the standard lengths for a chain link fence 1, such as twenty-five feet or fifty feet.

To facilitate insertion of a band 5 into a first aperture 10 (or, optionally, a second aperture 12) or into an interior channel 7 of a slat 2, the first end 11 of a band 5 is preferably tapered when observed in a plan view looking at either a either the face (also called the front) or the back (also called the rear) of the band 5, i.e., such first end 11 is pointed, as portrayed in FIG. 5; curved, as illustrated in FIG. 6; or truncated, as shown in FIG. 7.

Also, to facilitate insertion of a band 5 into a first aperture 10 (or, optionally, a second aperture 12) or into an interior channel 7 of a slat 2, the first end 11 of a band 5 is preferably tapered when observed in an elevational view looking at either a either a first edge 13 (also called a first side 13) or a second edge 14 (also called a second side 14) of the band 5, i.e., such first end 11 is pointed, as portrayed in FIG. 8; curved, as illustrated in FIG. 9; or truncated, as shown in FIG. 10.

Further to facilitate insertion of a band 5 into a first aperture 10 (or, optionally, a second aperture 12) or into an interior channel 7 of a slat 2, the first aperture 10, as illustrated in FIG. 11, or the entry 15 into the interior channel 7, as shown in FIG. 12, is beveled, i.e., the outer perimeter 16 of the entrance (Herein the term “entrance” is defined to include both an entry aperture 10 and an entry 15 into an interior channel 7.) is farther from the middle 17 of the interior 6 of the slat 2 than is the inner perimeter 18 of the entrance 10, 15.

And even more preferred, the second aperture 12, as illustrated in FIG. 13, or the egress 19 from such interior channel 7, as shown in FIG. 14, is also beveled, i.e., the outer perimeter 20 of the exit (Herein the term “exit” is defined to include both an egress aperture 12 and an egress 19 from an interior channel 7.) is farther from the middle 17 of the interior 6 of the slat 2 than is the inner perimeter 21 of the exit 12, 19.

The term “external opening” is herein defined to include both an entrance 10, 15 and an exit 12, 19. And although it is most preferable to have both external openings 10, 15 and 12, 19 of an internal passage 7 or 8 as well as 10 and 9 as well as 12 (a first side 8 of a slat 2 as well as a first or entry aperture 10 and a second side 9 of the slat 2 as well as a second or egress aperture 12) beveled, it is still preferable to have at least one external opening 10, 15 or 12, 19 (The entrance being either an entry aperture 10 in a first side 8 of a slat 2 or an entry 15 of an interior channel 7 within a slat 2, and the exit being either an egress aperture 12 in a second side 9 of a slat 2 or an egress 19 from an interior channel 7.) beveled. The reason that it is most preferable to have both external openings 10, 15 and 12, 19 beveled it that this facilitates installation because it is then not necessary to assure that a particular side 8, 9 of the slat 2 is oriented toward the direction from which the band 5 will be inserted.

A third preferred construction for facilitating the insertion of a band 5 into an entrance 10, 15 or an exit 12, 19 is to have a concave shape (when seen in a plan view looking at either the front—also called a face—22 or the rear—also termed a back—23 of a slat 2) for such entrance 10, 15 or exit 12, 19. And, again to facilitate installation by avoiding the requirement for a specific orientation of the slat, with respect to the front 22 and the rear 23, it is even more preferable to have, as depicted in FIG. 1, such a concave shape for both external openings 10, 15 and 12, 19 of a slat 2, it is still preferable to have a concave shape for at least one external opening 10, 15 or 12, 19.

As used herein, the term “substantially” indicates that one skilled in the art would consider the value modified by such terms to be within acceptable limits for the stated value. Also as used herein the term “preferable” or “preferably” means that a specified element or technique is more acceptable than another but not that such specified element or technique is a necessity. 

I claim:
 1. A chain link fence with retained slats, which comprises: a traditional chain link fence having a top and a bottom; two or more fence slats inserted into said chain link fence before installation of said chain link fence, each of said fence slats having a face; and at least one band having a first end, a face, and a back, said at least one band being inserted into said chain link fence before installation of said chain link fence wherein for each of said bands each of said fence slats has an internal passage located at substantially the same position, each of said internal passages having two external openings, and wherein the total of all said bands has sufficient strength to retain all of said slats within said chain link fence while also being sufficiently flexible to permit said chain link fence with said slats and said at least one band to be rolled in the traditional manner.
 2. The chain link fence with retained slats as recited in claim 1, wherein: when observed in a plan view looking at the face of each said at least one band, the first end of each said at least one band is tapered.
 3. The chain link fence with retained slats as recited in claim 3, wherein: when observed in an elevational view looking at a first side of each said at least one band, the first end of each said at least one band is tapered.
 4. The chain link fence with retained slats as recited in claim 4, wherein: at least one external opening of each internal passage is beveled.
 5. The chain link fence with retained slats as recited in claim 4, wherein: at least one external opening of each internal passage has a concave shape when seen in a plan view looking at the face of each said slat.
 6. The chain link fence with retained slats as recited in claim 3, wherein: at least one external opening of each internal passage has a concave shape when seen in a plan view looking at the face of each said slat.
 7. The chain link fence with retained slats as recited in claim 2, wherein: at least one external opening of each internal passage is beveled.
 8. The chain link fence with retained slats as recited in claim 7, wherein: at least one external opening of each internal passage has a concave shape when seen in a plan view looking at the face of each said slat.
 9. The chain link fence with retained slats as recited in claim 2, wherein: at least one external opening of each internal passage has a concave shape when seen in a plan view looking at the face of each said slat.
 10. The chain link fence with retained slats as recited in claim 1, wherein: when observed in an elevational view looking at a first side of each said at least one band, the first end of each said at least one band is tapered.
 11. The chain link fence with retained slats as recited in claim 10, wherein: at least one external opening of each internal passage is beveled.
 12. The chain link fence with retained slats as recited in claim 11, wherein: at least one external opening of each internal passage has a concave shape when seen in a plan view looking at the face of each said slat.
 13. The chain link fence with retained slats as recited in claim 10, wherein: at least one external opening of each internal passage has a concave shape when seen in a plan view looking at the face of each said slat.
 14. The chain link fence with retained slats as recited in claim 1, wherein: at least one external opening of each internal passage is beveled.
 15. The chain link fence with retained slats as recited in claim 14, wherein: at least one external opening of each internal passage has a concave shape when seen in a plan view looking at the face of each said slat.
 16. The chain link fence with retained slats as recited in claim 1, wherein: at least one external opening of each internal passage has a concave shape when seen in a plan view looking at the face of each said slat.
 17. A chain link fence with retained slats, which comprises: a traditional chain link fence having a top and a bottom; two or more fence slats inserted into said chain link fence before installation of said chain link fence, each of said fence slats having a face; and at least one band having a first end, a face, and a back, said at least one band being inserted into said chain link fence before installation of said chain link fence wherein for each of said bands each of said fence slats has an internal passage located at substantially the same position, each of said internal passages having two external openings with at least one external opening of each internal passage being beveled and with at least one external opening of each internal passage having a concave shape seen in a plan view looking at the face of each said slat, wherein the total of all said bands has sufficient strength to retain all of said slats within said chain link fence while also being sufficiently flexible to permit said chain link fence with said slats and said at least one band to be rolled in the traditional manner, wherein when observed in a plan view looking at the face of each said at least one band, the first end of each said at least one band is tapered, and when observed in an elevational view looking at a first side of each said at least one band, the first end of each said at least one band is tapered. 